Aircraft carrier that survived atomic blasts lies at bottom of Pacific

[Brother Buzz]

4. I'm more concerned about the thousands of rusting radioactive 55 gallon steel drums dumped nearby

From 1946 to 1970, the sea around the Farallones was used as a nuclear dumping site for radioactive waste under the authority of the Atomic Energy Commission at a site known as the Farallon Island Nuclear Waste Dump. Most of the dumping took place before 1960, and all dumping of radioactive wastes by the United States was terminated in 1970. By then, 47,500 55 gallon steel drum containers had been dumped in the vicinity, with a total estimated radioactive activity of 14,500 Ci. The materials dumped were mostly laboratory materials containing traces of contamination. Much of the radioactivity had decayed by 1980.

44,000 containers were dumped at 37°37?N 123°17?W, and another 3,500 at 37°38?N 123°08?W.

Location shown on graphic does not match the lat and lon given for the two dumping sites. Lat and lon actually are further west by about 9 nm which places both sites off the continental shelf. This significantly changes the potential effects on the fishery and makes any mapping and recovery effort much harder.

The exact location of the containers and the potential hazard the containers pose to the environment are unknown. Attempts to remove the barrels would likely produce greater risk than leaving them undisturbed.

Waste containers were shipped to Hunters Point Shipyard, then loaded onto barges for transportation to the Farallones. Containers were weighted with concrete. Those that floated were sometimes shot with rifles to sink them.

In January 1951, the highly radioactive hull of USS Independence was scuttled in the area.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farallon_Islands#Nuclear_waste_dump